Our first full day on honeymoon in Prague. Yesterday we traveled and had an amazing time walking through part of the city. Today we were tired so chose to sleep as late as possible, without missing breakfast at the hotel, and do as little as possible and more thoroughly enjoy what we chose to see and do.

After breakfast the first target of the day was to find me some kolacky. My grandma used to bake them. While I could drive 30 minutes to a Czech bakery in Chicago to get some, I never do. They take a while to make so I don’t bake them either. Kolacky isn’t something you find in most restaurants in Prague. We asked at the hotel front desk where I could get some and the market down the street was suggested. Kolacky, we were told, was more of a rural tradition on special days. Not something you find on most menus. Apple Streudel – not that is on practically every menu. Sadly on Saturday there was no market. We did however go into a large shopping mall in search of something for Johan and in the lowest level, found a cart selling traditional Czech pastries!! Yes!!!

After purchasing my Czech sweets we headed out to wander the Old Town Square in full daylight. We took more photos of the astrological clock – one of my favorite things in Prague. We went into the Old Town Hall to look at their information brochures and found a WWII in Prague tour. I contemplated touring the Old Town Hall but the wait was 45 minutes until the next tour which would go into the Gothic and Roman Cellars. We were tired so I opted to wait until Sunday to see if I still wanted to do it. It was a good thing I waited. While we were there, the Old Town Hall was having some outside restoration done so most of the building was covered. I guess next time we’ll see it in all it’s glory.

After a coffee, we explored some more and found some gorgeous doors and art in the city. When I stroll around Chicago, I always look up to see what is on the buildings. In Prague my head almost got stuck in the “looking up” position. There was so much to see from art above doorways, Mother Mary watching over us in many locations, hanging door signs, statues, paintings, mosaics, and so much more. There were also so many old doors to look at. I have a thing for doors. I do. I LOVE old doors. I always wonder what their story is. Who used to go through them. Into what new world did the enter? How did that change their life? If I went through one, what would happen? Could I time travel? What adventures could I have? So many doors.

We took a walk and ended up at one bridge at the river. Not the Charles Bridge. That was yet to be crossed. After taking some photos of Prague Castle and looking down the river toward the Charles Bridge, and thenadmiring more art on buildings, we wandered near Wenceslas Square and found some lunch in an outdoor cafe. The cafe was called Švejk after the book The Good Soldier Svejk. I had heard of this book, but have not read it. Johan was much more well educated on Švejk though.

When we finished eating I wanted to powder my nose so headed inside the restaurant. The walls were lined with Švejk Stained Glass or paintings. Merchandise lined some shelves. As I proceeded down three levels to the Roman Cellars, I finally found the powder room and several other rooms with more stained glass on the walls and also over the bridge that was on the level above me connecting rooms. It was incredible. I took a few photos before I left. I wonder how many people go down there to just stand in awe of the beautiful art…. The last photo is the bridge. Beneath this row of photos is one stained glass which is a bridge panel.

I do admit I had to see the stained glass more than once so ventured down to the cellars again. The cellars themselves are amazing and gorgeous. Most of the restaurants have small rooms off the main cellar – as you can almost imagine from the bridge photo above – rooms off to each side of the tunnel. The spaces are magical and inspiring. You do, in a way, time travel to the Gothic and Roman times when you go into the depths of these buildings. I wonder how many of my ancestors would have done that in these buildings – of course in a time they were more street level.

From there we wandered up and down Wenceslas Square, which contained more art on the buildings. This is another area of Prague you could explore for hours – just looking up at the buildings. Art, statues, architecture. Just gorgeous.

Without intent to take it easy today, we ended up back at the hotel for a coffee, snack and rest before venturing out for the concert in Our Lady of Tyn Church. Dinner we decided, would have to come after the concert.

The concert was incredible and featured some of the same members as the group the night before. On Saturday night they added the organ, an opera singer who sang Ave Maria, and a trumpet player who played a few songs. I enjoyed most of the concert, but not so much the organ. One organ song is ok. After that……. The soloist who sang Ave Maria was wonderful. I was grateful we took advantage of this experience. It was a great end to another magical day.

Of course, after the concert we were starving. Not quite finding something that we wanted in the Square, we ended up back at the hotel and had a lovely dinner, with of course, a Pilsner!

My second day in the land of my ancestors brought more magic and possibility to my life. And more awareness that yes, Jennifer can relax on a trip and just enjoy slowing down. Thank you husband for helping me do that.

Life is an adventure. Something to be experienced and enjoyed. I often ask, ‘How does it get any better than this?‘ When I ask that question, magic happens.

For many years I didn’t feel like there was much of that unless you count raising three boys an adventure, which I often do. Having twins has made most days an experience beyond anything I’d known. Then in 2015 I embarked on a new adventure – traveling to Europe. Since that trip and the choices I made because of the experiences I had, life continues to be ever changing and some days I don’t even recognize myself.

Who am I today? That is a question I often ask.

We all make choices in life to pay attention to some things while ignoring others. To stay isolated versus being with new people. We stick so much to our family stories and who we ‘believe’ we are and our family members are, that we often shut out the possibilities of what could be. We often close ourselves off to the possibilities of experiences, people, jobs, travel, and healing that could change us in ways we desire but are too afraid to embrace. I speak from experience.

Yet when we take that one chance, our entire reality can change. I took that chance after my first trip to Europe and it led to meeting the most amazing man, who is now my husband. Johan offered up several places for us to go on honeymoon. One was Prague. When he offered this as a possibility, my entire body and soul lit up and started dancing and yelling, ‘YES LET’S GO THERE!!!’

Feeling there were reasons beyond my immediate understanding of why I had to go to Prague, I was completely aware there was something greater than myself at work here. I knew without a doubt this trip would change my life and the lives and souls of others. I also knew it would bring me home.

My Czech Family

This was my first trip to the Czech Republic. Our plane ride from Amsterdam to Prague was short and my heart beat faster as we got closer to Prague airport. Seeing the land of my ancestors made me almost cry as I heard their voices welcoming me home and reminding me I was not only here for myself but also them.

All of my family lines, which I have traced back to the early 1800s in most cases and 1600s in another line, were in what was Bohemia, then Czechoslovakia. All of those who emigrated, came to Chicago. Where did my ancestors come from before where my research ends? I’m starting to figure that out after not looking at my genealogy for several years. I’m also waiting for a DNA kit to arrive so I can learn more and hopefully have some questions answered. Many who heard my surname, Holik, welcomed me home. It felt so good to be welcomed home.

What surnames make up my family?

Holik from Senetín and before that, Ledec nad Sázavou

Rataj/Ratay from Pisek

Brouk from Holovousy, Chric,

Schubert/Subrt & Kocka from Hresilavy and Chric

Tregler & Svihlik from Kladno, Motycin near Prague

Kokoska/Kokaska from unknown at this time but likely near Osek as he married a Priban.

Priban from Osek where the family lived for over two centuries

Zajicek from Pilsen

Hammer/Hamer from Drakov, Kraj Tabor

Exploring Prague

Johan and I stayed at the K+K Hotel in Prague just down the street from the Powder Tower and Municipal Center. This hotel was full of Art Deco, which Johan loves. Seeing so much Art Deco and Mucha art in Prague, I’ve now become a fan. We arrived late afternoon and there were two main things I wanted. Kolacky and for dinner – either roast duck or roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut. Of course I wanted to see some sights, but Czech food was high on my list.

We ended up walking first to the Powder Tower and passed some WWII war memorials on the buildings as we walked. Next to the Tower is the Municipal Center, which is filled with Art Deco. Simply gorgeous. One can spend hours looking at all the details and stained glass and mosaics. We were in need of a snack so headed into one of the restaurants in the building called Kavárna, which had a cart filled with cake options. Of course we each chose a different cake so we could sample two options.

After enjoying our cake and coffee and exploring a little more of the building, we ventured out …. destination unknown. Thankfully Johan is a master navigator and we can walk all over a city and he always knows where he is and how to get anywhere we want to go. I’m not always so great at this.

Having made only a short list of things we ‘must-see’ on this trip, we were happy to see where our feet took us and what showed up along the way. Our walking took us down a long road to the Old Town Square where we found Our Lady of Tyn Church. This was on my list of things to see. We arrived after 5 p.m. so it was closed. Outside there was a sign for a classical music concert the following evening. How amazing would it be to hear that in a centuries old church? We bought tickets and I asked, ‘How does it get any better than this?’

Walking back to the square we admired the gorgeous architecture on the buildings, watched people as they made their way through from one place to another. Watched street performers and heard bits of music. We made our way across the square to another church (I love churches) and found St. Nicholas Church. They were having a concert that evening at 7:30 and were going to play something from my favorite composer – Dvořák and his From the New World! I may have gotten VERY excited over the possibility of hearing this in a church so Johan agreed we could get tickets. Two concerts, two nights in Prague! ‘How does it get any better than this?’ It didn’t take long to find out! We kept walking the square and soon found the Old Town Hall and when we walked around the side, there was the Astronomical Clock! Needless to say, I kept asking the question the rest of the night and amazing things showed up.

By this time it was getting close to 6:00 and we needed to find some dinner before going to the concert. As luck would have it, we found The White Horse restaurant which had outdoor seating. It was very noisy and getting chilly, so the hostess suggested we eat in their cellars. That sounded interesting and less noisy so we agreed. We walked down two levels of old stone stairs and ended up eating in the Roman Cellars. It was magical! And of course, they had roast duck, dumplings, and sauerkraut! It was a lot and I ate it all. Delicious!

After dinner we went to St. Nicholas Church to hear the concert. The music, atmosphere, lighting, and history all brought ghosts from the past to join us to enjoy the magic of the music and space. The group consisted of violinists, cellists, and a bass. They played Ravel’s Bolero, Dvořák’s Symphony Number 9 in E Minor, Pachelbel’s Canon, and some Mozart, Bach, and Vivaldi. Many times tears came to my eyes as my heart swelled with the rise and fall of the music in that sacred space. It was an amazing way to close out our first day in Prague.

Prague at night is magical. The buildings, art, lights, people, music. We enjoyed the way the Old Town Square looked after the concert on our walk back to the hotel. Little did we know one more surprise awaited us…..champagne and chocolates from the hotel staff wishing us a happy marriage.

Our first partial day in Prague was incredible. So many emotions and experiences and a profound sense of being home. Where would the next three days take us? Who would we meet? What would we see and experience? How would our lives be changed? What did my ancestors have in store for me beyond the magic provided this first day? Stay tuned to find out and learn some travel tips in the final article.

This is a guest post written by Sharon Odegaard. All photos are Sharon’s and used with permission.

Prague’s beautiful old town today is what draws so many to visit. It escaped damage during WWII, so what we see strolling along the lanes and in the town square are genuinely historic shops and churches and restaurants, rather than new versions made to look old. People flock to Prague to experience history in its pure form. So many of the cities in Europe suffered from bombing, one of the closest to Prague being lovely Dresden, which lay in ruins after the war. Some cities were rebuilt in the original style, such as Dresden and Nuremberg, and others chose to start over with modern structures of glass and chrome, like Berlin.

How was Prague spared destruction? The leaders chose to surrender rather than lose their city during WWII. This is well explained on the excellent WWII in Prague tour. And we also learned about the resistance here. These men and women did not accept surrender and fought to sabotage the German war effort. The group was small and suffered from a lack of radios and contact with the Allies, but they claimed one amazing feat – the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the third most powerful Nazi leader.

Heydrich, NaziSSObergruppenführer and General of Police, was in charge of Prague at this time. He was ruthless in pursuit of disloyal townspeople. He earned the nickname, “The Butcher of Prague,” due to relentless arrests and murders of the locals. He was also a leading architect of “The Final Solution,” recommending that all Jews be killed. After the Jews would come the citizens of Prague, according to the master plan. Taking Heydrich out would be a serious blow to the Nazi cause and would possibly save many lives in Prague.

The story of the assassination is more dramatic than fiction. The Czechs who killed Heydrich are memorialized at the place of their last stand against the Germans. Seven brave men held out against the Germans where they had been hiding, at the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Today, you can visit the National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror in the crypt of this church.

The crypt is quite small and is kept just as it was after this battle. Standing underground in the musty basement of the church, you can imagine what went on there.

You’ll want to know about Anthropoid before you visit the memorial. The assassination plot, devised in England in 1941 and code-named Operation Anthropoid, called for two young Czechs in exile there to parachute back into Prague and shoot Heydrich. So Josef Gabcik and Jan Kubis jumped from a plane in the dead of winter, off course due to poor weather, with Gabcik suffering a foot injury on landing. From December 1941 to May 1942, Gabcik and Kubis lived with a resistance family while Gabcik’s foot healed. They met with resistance members in Prague and maintained radio silence with England, as ordered. The mission was discussed with others, but the target of Operation Anthropoid was kept secret from the resistance. The plan to assassinate such a high-ranking Nazi official would be thought crazy and certain suicide. Gabcik and Kubis committed to the mission and did not back down.

On June 4, 1942, the plan went into motion. The Czechs would shoot Heydrich as his open-top Mercedes limousine came around a sharp corner, then run. The mission didn’t go as planned. When Gabcik jumped in front of Heydrich’s car and pointed his Sten gun, the gun jammed. Heydrich, realizing what was happening, jumped from the car to chase Gabcik. Kubis went into action with the backup plan and threw a grenade at the car. He missed Heydrich but hit a corner of the car. The paratroopers ran away through the smoke and went into hiding, knowing that Heydrich was wounded but survived, and they had failed.

The Germans reacted immediately with reprisals. Then, Heydrich died from his wounds. The Germans offered a hefty sum for any information on the young men. After three weeks, a fellow resistance member betrayed them. But Gabcik and Kubis were moved to the Saints Cyril and Methodius Church and hid in the crypt there with others who assisted in the assassination. The woman who had hidden the parachutists was killed and her son tortured until he gave away the location of the church hiding place.

The Germans invaded the church and a long battle ensued. Eventually, the Czechs in the main part of the church were killed or committed suicide. Intending to try to take the paratroopers alive, the Germans tried to shoot their way into the crypt. When that failed, they flooded the crypt from city fire hoses to flush out the men. At that point, the paratroopers knew they couldn’t escape, so rather than be captured, they all committed suicide.

Operation Anthropoid resulted in extensive reprisals, including the slaughter of the entire village of Lidice. Many lost their lives. But even those who survived the war in Prague have spoken out to honor the men who struck a blow at the highest levels of Nazi leadership. One far-reaching consequence was that Winston Churchill reacted by declaring the Munich Pact void and England embraced the Czechs as Allies for the first time. It’s interesting, too, that England didn’t claim any part of the operation but gave full credit to the Czechs.

The crypt today shows clear signs of the battle. Bullet holes pepper the walls. When you stand in the crypt, you feel how small and claustrophobic it is, just a small basement in a neighborhood church. But the bravery that took place here was beyond measure.

Thank you notes lay scattered about, tributes to these young men who gave themselves in hopes of saving others. Groups of school children and tourists come here to learn about this story of Czech resistance to evil.

The tiny museum outside the crypt tells the story of Operation Anthropoid. On display are items like Jan Kubis’ shoe and one of the guns used in the battle.

The crypt of this church tells the story of seven men who held off the German war machine in a local church for six hours. The paratroopers and those who aided and hid them gave their lives to cut off a leader who randomly and methodically killed innocents.

It’s well worth a visit and leaves you with much to mull over.

Want to know more about Operation Anthropoid? The excellent 2016 movie Anthropoid is a gripping dramatization and well worth seeing.

Johan and I got married and went on honeymoon in Prague. Initially I thought we’d do some ancestor hunting for me. As far as I’ve researched (back into early 1800s), my family came from Bohemia – later Czechoslovakia. Then we decided no work, no war, and no genealogy. We would only be dreamy honeymooners exploring the city. However we always go with the flow and see what shows up. On our second day in Prague we stumbled upon a brochure for the tour company World War II in Prague. The brochure was exciting and well done. All you had to do was show up at the tour meeting place at the time you wished to go and pay there. How does it get any better than that?

On a rainy Sunday morning at 10:00 at the Powder Tower (just down the street from our hotel,) we met Hannah, our tour guide. There was a small group of less than 10 people which was perfect for asking questions. Our tour started at the Powder Tower and Hannah showed us a map of Czechoslovakia and the surrounding countries from 1938. She began telling us stories of how the annexation occurred and what happened to the Czech people, especially those in Prague.

After a serious history lesson about Czechoslovakia and its importance to Hitler’s war plans, we began walking to the Old Town Square where the Nazis rolled through Prague and began taking over. As we walked, Hannah stopped and pointed out different war memorials on the buildings, especially those for the resistance. Those in the resistance greeted each other with a specific hand signal, as seen in the memorials. Most of the signs we saw, with or without the hand on them, contained names of those who died in Prague fighting for freedom, many on the last days of the war as the Germans were killing everyone they could in an attempt to save themselves.

Our tour included a visit to the underground where the resistance met and many families whose houses had been destroyed, fled during the occupation. The underground took us two layers below the current Prague street level. The first level was the Gothic cellar. The second, the Roman cellar, beneath the Old Town Hall. Prague has a series of connected cellars which made it difficult for the Germans to know how many resistance members there were at one time. We had eaten the night before in Roman cellars and I had no idea then of their significance.

In the cellars I could feel the people who had once been there. Perhaps from the war and perhaps from other times. So many were silenced I discovered as I felt that energy in my throat. Others gave up their power willingly or unwillingly and were full of fear, as I felt that energy in my solar plexus. I could almost see and hear the mothers with crying children in the cellars. See the people wandering with lost looks on their faces. And the sick and dying. There were moments I wasn’t sure I could stand any longer in certain areas of the cellar due to the energy coming up. So many souls asking for peace and to be remembered.

After the Old Town Hall cellars, we walked through more of Prague toward the river. We learned the story of Heydrich’s assassination and the role of the resistance in that attempt. Hannah had photos from the war and showed them each step of the tour. We were able to have a “then and now” visual of what happened. You can see many of these photos on the tour company’s website.

We stopped in front of a building where Franz Kafka lived, which was the Gestapo Headquarters. Across the street from this was the building, which is still standing, which had radio transmitters on the roof for the resistance to use.

Prior to the end of our tour, we walked through the Jewish Quarter and learned more about the fate of the Jews in Prague. We learned how they worked with the resistance to stall production and fight the Nazis. We saw several monument stones on buildings for Jews who died, and the Stolpersteine in the sidewalks. I’ve seen more of these in Amsterdam than I did in Prague. Prague did not have a huge Jewish population during the war, but many were shipped to camps. It is interesting there are not more Stolpersteine. Our final stop was near the SS Headquarters, which was housed in the now Charles University Law Faculty building.

The tour took about two hours and our heads were filled with so much information that I asked Johan to start writing some of the highlights down as soon as we found a place for lunch. I learned so much about Czechoslovakia during the war. I’m interested in learning more, especially about the resistance and the people who lived there during the occupation.

The tour made me wonder about my own family who never emigrated to the U.S., specifically Chicago. Why did some choose to leave between 1865-1925? Why did other stay? Was there family still living near Prague during the war? My Tregler line lived not far from Prague in 1925. What about the families who lived in the country? What was life like for them? I wonder now too if any of my grandparents kept in touch with anyone in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s and beyond. They are all gone so I cannot ask.

So many questions and no answers. However, the next thing I can do is hire a Czech researcher to look over what has been done and see what else can be found. Then arrange for a guide or the researcher to take me to the places my families lived on another trip. To walk in their footsteps as I’ve walked in the footsteps of my WWI and WWII family members in Europe. What answers await me? What new discoveries? What healing will take place?

Have you ever taken a tour in Europe unrelated to your family that left you with a million questions?